Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
In. the. “current. thinking”. document,. the. EPA. encourages. nanoscale. material.
manufacturers. to. arrange. a. pre-notice. consultation. with. the. EPA. to. address. these.
issues,. or. to. submit. a.
bona ide
intent. to. manufacture. submission.. The. EPA. also.
notes.that.it.may.need.additional.information,.including.data,.to.determine.whether.
a.material.requires.new.chemical.notiication.
Ultimately,. the. EPA. hopes. the. NMSP. will. be. more. robust. than. the. Voluntary.
Reporting.Scheme.for.Engineered.Nanoscale.Materials.launched.in.September.2006.
under.the.auspices.of.the.U.K..Department.for.Environment,.Food,.and.Rural.Affairs.
(Defra)..As.of.this.writing,.only.nine.entities.have.volunteered.for.the.program..The.
objective.of.the.U.K..program.is.“to.develop.a.better.understanding.of.the.properties.
and.characteristics.of.different.engineered.nanoscale.materials,.so.enabling.poten-
tial.hazard,.exposure.and.risk.to.be.considered”.in.the.U.K..government's.effort.“to.
develop.appropriate.controls.in.respect.of.any.risks.to.the.environment.and.human.
health.from.free.engineered.nanoscale.materials”.[22,.23].
...
nanotechnology white Paper
The.EPA's.Science.Policy.Council.(SPC).issued,.in.December.2005,.its.draft.
Nano-
technology White Paper.
.The.White.Paper.describes.issues.the.EPA.must.address.to.
ensure.that.“society.accrues.the.important.beneits.to.environmental.protection.that.
nanotechnology.may.offer,.as.well.as.to.understand.better.any.potential.risks.from.
exposure.to.nanomaterials.in.the.environment”.[24]..The.EPA.convened.an.expert.
peer.review.meeting.in.Washington,.D.C.,.on.April.19-20,.2006,.to.conduct.an.inde-
pendent.expert.external.peer.review.of.the.White.Paper.[25]..The.SPC.approved.the.
inal. report. on. September. 25,. 2006,. and. the. EPA. issued. the. inal. White. Paper. on.
February.15,.2007.[26].
The.White.Paper.includes.a.discussion.of.the.potential.environmental.beneits.
of.nanotechnology,.an.overview.of.existing.information.on.nanomaterials.regarding.
components.needed.to.conduct.a.risk.assessment,.a.section.on.responsible.develop-
ment.and.the.EPA's.statutory.mandates,.and.a.review.of.research.needs.for.both.envi-
ronmental.applications.and.implications.of.nanotechnology..To.help.the.EPA.focus.
on.priorities.for.the.near.term,.the.White.Paper.also.provides.recommendations.for.
addressing.science.issues.and.research.needs,.including.prioritized.research.needs.
within. most. risk. assessment. topic. areas. (e.g.,. human. health. effects. research,. fate.
and.transport.research)..The.EPA's.Nanotechnology.Research.Framework,.which.is.
appended.to.the.White.Paper.in.Appendix.C,.outlines.how.the.EPA.intends.to.focus.
its. own. research. program. “to. provide. key. information. on. potential. environmental.
impacts.from.human.or.ecological.exposure.to.nanomaterials.in.a.manner.that.com-
plements.other.federal,.academic,.and.private-sector.research.activities.”
Key.White.Paper.recommendations.include:
•
Environmental Applications Research.
.The.EPA.should.continue.to.under-
take,.collaborate.on,.and.support.research.to.understand.and.apply.informa-
tion.regarding.environmental.applications.of.nanomaterials.
